Limits and help
Limits and help in Nova Scotia
Help in Nova Scotia costs nothing, and the provincial crisis line at 1-888-429-8167 is confidential and open 24 hours a day. This sheet starts with a limit you set before the walk over, then lists where to turn.
Written by the Harbour Walk desk Checked October 13, 2026
Set the limit on the walk over
Before you set off along the water, pick two numbers: the sum for the night and the hour you head home. Write them down if that helps. Take that sum in cash and leave the bank cards at home, so the limit stays a limit. Plan the way back too, on foot or by ride, before the first hand is dealt.
Entry is 19+ with valid government photo ID. Live tables on the main floor stop at 3 AM, and that is a closing time, not a target. When the sum is spent or the hour comes, the night is done, whatever the last result was.
Where help is in Nova Scotia
- The Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line, run by Nova Scotia Health, answers at 1-888-429-8167. The call costs nothing, is confidential and goes through at any hour of any day.
- Mental Health and Addictions Intake handles non-urgent help at 1-855-922-1122, Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. On Tuesdays and Thursdays it answers until 8 PM, and weekends go to voicemail.
- On the Halifax gaming floor, the Responsible Gambling Resource Centre gives confidential support and information on self-exclusion. Its staff answer at 902-424-8663.
- The Casino Nova Scotia Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program covers both casinos, Halifax and Sydney, including restaurants and entertainment venues. Terms run 6 months, one year, three years or indefinite, and self-excluded people cannot win prizes.
- For online play, alc.ca offers its own self-exclusion for 6, 12, 24 or 36 months, or a break of 1 to 90 days. Neither can be reversed, and weekly deposit, daily session and daily wager limits sit alongside them.
When it feels urgent
If things feel urgent, call 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, open 24 hours a day, every day. The Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line at 1-888-429-8167 also answers around the clock, seven days a week. You do not need to wait for business hours or for things to get worse before you call.
Questions from the waterfront
Is there a phone line open at night?
Yes, the Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line at 1-888-429-8167 answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call is confidential and costs nothing.
Can a casino self-exclusion be indefinite?
Yes, indefinite is one of the terms in the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program, alongside 6 months, one year and three years. It covers both the Halifax and Sydney casinos.
Does casino self-exclusion cover alc.ca?
The casino program covers the Halifax and Sydney casinos. Online play on alc.ca has its own self-exclusion for 6, 12, 24 or 36 months, plus breaks of 1 to 90 days, and neither can be reversed.